All I Am
by TheHungerGamesRock
Summary: Gale, the love of my life. Prim. My mother. They all flash before my eyes; And I know I'll never see them again. But they make me. They are All I Am. Rewrite of my deleted story: Twisted Love. Same story, basically.
1. Intro: The Love of my Life

Disclaimer: I do not own the huner games..I was just inspired

A/N: Honestly, I'm a team Peeta person, but this is to team Gale.

* * *

I wake up in the morning, still tired. I think of Gale, the love of my life. How he will probably be waiting for me in the woods, the thought pushes me out of bed and running to get ready. Even when you're in district 12, you have to look presentable. I don't want any peacekeepers coming after Prim. I know my mother isn't depressed anymore, but I still don't trust her. I just can't. My anger and rage at her will never calm down. I know that….

I quickly brush through my hair with the small black comb my father got me for my 8th birthday. I'm starving. And I know gale must be too, so I grab the milk and cheese prim made from her goat, Lady, put it in my hunting bag, and hurry out the door.

I'm in the meadow and under the gate before I know it. And once I brush past the thick bushes that cover the hills, finally, I see his face. The only thing that makes me smile in the woods. He's sitting in the pile of leaves when I join him.

"Hey Catnip," he says.

"Hey Gale," I reply. "What do you have?" He pulls out a small loaf of bread and two rabbit's legs. I pick up the bread and examine it. "This will go good with the cheese," I say.

"What do you have?" Gale asks me.

"Just some cheese and milk," I reply. "We're running low on food."

"That's okay, that's why we're hunting anyway," he says. He spreads the cheese on the bread while I lay out the milk and rabbit legs. I divide the food and we eat until, surprisingly, we're full.

Once we're done, I just sit there, staring into his eyes. Honestly, we could be related. Same olive skin, gray eyes, black hair….but many people from the seam resemble each other like this.

I stare at him, while he returns my gaze, until he closes in and kisses me, and I feel like I never want him to stop. I kiss him back for a few minutes and we fall back, me on top of him. Then we're laughing. Suddenly, I'm scared, even when you're in the middle of nowhere, you wonder if someone may hear you. And I can't let that happen. If I get arrested-or most likely, killed for hunting- my family pays for my actions. If Gale gets arrested-or killed-I could never live with myself. Not in a million years. Not if I lived forever. Never.

I can't shake the connection between us. Ever since he poured out his feelings for me, I've been blind to everything else….

~flashback~

It was a bright, sunny day; and Gale and I were hunting. After about an hour, we headed for the patch of strawberries far from the meadow. We were picking strawberries until Gale said,"K-Katniss, can I talk to you?" he said in a nervous tone.

"Sure," was all I said. Then Gale poured all his love out to me. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what to say. I just shook my head slowly in denial. I never planned this. I never planned on marrying. I never even planned on having a boyfriend. With the reapings, and hunger games, I would never risk bringing a child into the world; so I just ran. I ran as quickly as my legs would go, leaving Gale and his love behind me. Not wanting to return to them.

When I got home, my mother and Prim were waiting for me. Oh no….I had left all the food behind me. Other than the cheese and milk from Prim's goat, we had no more food. I stood there, completely angry at what I'd done. Stupid Gale. Stupid love. I opened my mouth to give an explanation, but nothing came out. I just burst into tears. My mother was confused but didn't question me. She and Prim helped me into bed and I began to tell them the story. They didn't interrupt. Not even ask where the food was. That night, all we had for dinner was some stale bread from the baker's with cheese and milk. And right when my mother started to make the mint tea that we have every day, there was knock at the door. I already knew who it was. Who else would it be? I just turned away from the door and let my mother open it. I heard his voice; talking, and I felt a shiver of guilt run through me.

"Uhh, good evening Ms. Everdeen, can you give this to Katniss please?" he said with a sad tone.

"Of course," my mother replied. "I heard what happened. I'm so sorry."

He nodded and turned away.

A few days later, we were completely out of food; so I had to go hunting. Lucky for me, it was raining. Hopefully Gale wouldn't be out when it was that wet, but when I brushed past the bushes, he was there; soaking wet. I walked over to him and said in a harsh tone, "What are you doing here?"

"I've been waiting for you," he replied softly

"How long?" I asked.

"A few hours," he said, avoiding my gaze. "I wanted to apologize for-"

I cut him off and surprised myself by running right into his arms. I guess I really did love him; the same way he loved me. And before he could say anything else, I kissed him. He seemed surprised, but not as surprised as I probably did. We kissed for a while more and started hunting because we knew how hungry our families must have been. By the end of the day, we had the good luck to kill two squirrels, four rabbits, a gallon of strawberries, three big fish, some bird eggs, a wild turkey, and a huge bag of fresh greens. We divided the food, and when we got home our families ate until we could hold no more food. We had never had so much food in our lives

~End of Flashback~

Now, we just lay there, in the grass, so peaceful. I wish that I could freeze this moment. But I know I can't. I know my family will be waiting for me. Waiting for the food; so I sit up and kiss Gale one more time; which seems to pull him to his senses. He looks up at me and smiles. And I smile back at him.

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A/N: okay...plz R&R...and, should Gale go into the hunger games with katniss?


	2. The Bull

~last time~

Now, we just lay there, in the grass, so peaceful. I wish that I could freeze this moment. But I know I can't. I know my family will be waiting for me. Waiting for the food; so I sit up and kiss Gale one more time; which seems to pull him to his senses. He looks up at me and smiles. And I smile back at him.

"We should get going," I manage to say through my adoration.

"Yeah, we should," he replies.

I kiss him lightly while it seems to grow stronger and stronger. His strong arms are immediately at my waist. I run my hand through his thick smooth hair while my other hand runs slowly down his back and he gives a moan of pleasure. But that's all that can be done, because we are interrupted by a rustle of the bushes, a few yards to my left, a large bull steps through the bushes. I quickly take action and retrieve my bow and arrows that I must've dropped on the ground. Gale seems to take a longer time to realize what's happening. He blinks twice before returning from his daze, seeing the large bull just about ready to kill us. I aim at it and shoot. Unfortunately, it hits its leg and makes it more mad. It falls, but there's something underneath the heavy body of the large bull; and that's when I see Gale lying unconscious in the thick brown mud. What? I'm so confused; I don't know what to do. Why is Gale lying on the ground? I think. I'm so filled with rage I just lose it and shoot at the bull with such force it falls to the ground. I run over to it and sink a knife in its heart to make sure it's dead. The bull would sell for a lot of money, but I can't think about that right now. I rush over to Gale, and check him for any wounds. I immediately notice a huge cut on his back. I also catch a few bruises as I turn to see another large bull poised to attack. This must've been the thing that attacked Gale. My bow and arrows are on the ground next to the other bull while I still have a grip on the knife. There's no time to think. The bull starts charging at me and Gale, still unconscious. If I move, Gale will certainly die. I notice a large gash on its head, still bloody. I'm amazed it hasn't died yet. I run at it as quickly as I can and leave a large cut on its leg, making it fall over. I retrieve the knife and stick it into its stomach. I run back to gale. _If another bull comes crashing through the bushes, I swear_- my thoughts are interrupted by a low moan escaping Gales lips. I don't know what to do. I'm not a healer, like my mother and Prim. I need to get help. I try to lift him up, but can only manage carrying him a few yards. I know this will be the only way to save him. I half carry- half limp all the way to the fence. Trying to slide him under the fence, Prim sees me and calls to my mother. They come over and help me. Once he's in the house, I run to his house to tell Hazelle, his mother. She walks back over with me.

When I come back, my mom seems to be done with her work. Gale is sipping at a clear green soup. His back is bandaged and he has a few cuts and bruises, but other than that, he's okay. He tries and limps toward me, but I quickly run over to him and slowly push him back down.

"No, don't," I say. "You'll only hurt yourself." And I kiss him on the forehead.

"Oh, I have to go. The kids will be wondering where I am," says Hazelle with a sigh as she walks out the door. "Gale should stay here for the night. I don't think he'll be able to walk that far."

Prim walks over to me and sits on my lap. I hug her tightly and tickle her. But I suddenly stop because I hear a growling noise and realize that I haven't brought any food home.

"I'll be right back," I say.I kiss her cheek and run outside. I climb under the fence and run through the meadow until I reach the spot where we encountered the bulls. I grab the them and drag them under the fence. It's already dark and there are not many people at the hob so I knock on Rooba the butcher's door and hand her the two bulls. In return, she gives me salt, 3 steaks, an orange, and some money. I run home and we all feast on delicious salted steaks and mint tea. I ydon't tell them about the orange though. Not because I want to eat it, but because, on the day of the reaping, this will surely cheer Prim up.

"You should get some rest," Gale tells me, smiling. "You need it."

"Not as much as you do," I reply.

I slip in bed with my mother and prim while Gale takes the other bed. Buttercup lies at the foot of the bed, purring.

Right before I fall asleep, I walk over and give Gale a goodnight kiss.

"Goodnight Catnip," he says in reply. And kisses my forehead.


	3. Reaping Day

A/N: NEW UPDATED STORY ! EDITED !

To my readers: I'm so sorry for forgetting I was writing a story and I hope you forgive me. I will start writing again. I've just been so busy.

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~last time~

"Goodnight Catnip," he says in reply. And kisses my forehead.

When I awaken, Gale is already up. I look up at him and smile. But today's the reaping. There's no reason to smile. Gale smiles back at me anyway. He sips at his mint tea while I comb my hair. Prim cleans my father's mirror and my mother tends to Gale's back.

"How are you, Gale? Are you feeling all right ?" she asks.

"I'm feeling much better Mrs. Everdeen," he replies.

I walk over to Gale and stroke his smooth black hair.

"Are we hunting today ?" he asks.

"I am, you aren't." I reply. "You should rest." He nods, kisses my forehead, and continues sipping his tea. I start to head out the door.

"Wait," I hear Prim say. She hurries up to my side and hands me my hunting bag. I smile at her and she gives me a halfhearted hug. Usually she'd be cheerier, but I don't expect her to be happy today; her first reaping.

"And, Katniss, while you're gone, can you collect some herbs for me?" my mother asks. "We're in need of more to treat Gale's back." She shows me the picture in the book and lets me leave.

I run by the meadow, feeling the breeze in my hair. I climb under the loose spot in the fence and I'm off. I want to get something special today. We're supposed to treat the Hunger Games like a holiday anyway. Why not? The ground is fresh with plants and herbs. I remember some dandelions in the meadow. I'll gather them later with Prim after the reaping. I gather the herbs my mother asked for; and while I'm at it, I gather greens also. I climb trees for bird eggs. The forest is teeming with animal life, so I go to the river and set a few snares and traps. I haven't checked on the strawberry patch in a while, so I start walking towards the patch. I shoot three squirrels and a turkey on the way. When I arrive, I find the patch fresh with strawberries. I gather until I'm left with one gallon of strawberries. On the way back, I discover an orange tree. Oranges! Who would've thought, that the poorest district would have what even district 9 could barely afford? Oranges are a rarity in many districts, and I'll make good money off these. I gather about 20 oranges. Half for mine and Gale's family, the other, I'll sell. I head back to my snares and find only a rabbit.

When I finally reach the fence, I climb under and head straight to the hob. Greasy Sae takes all my bird eggs and about half my greens.

As I walk by, I catch the head peacekeeper, Cray, and hand him the turkey. He gives me some money and leaves. When I get to the Mayor's house, Madge, his daughter, opens the door wearing a fancy white dress; a small gold pin attached. She takes the strawberries and puts the money in my hand. Before she leaves, I say, "Wait." I take the oranges out of my bag.

Her lips press together in a tight line, and although she seems tempted to just take them and go, she waits.

"How much?" she asks.

"Name a price," I reply quickly.

She calls her father down. She tells him that I have oranges, and they both talk. I don't hear what they're saying. Honestly, I don't care enough to.

Before I know it, Madge puts more money in my hand and also gives me a new, pink ribbon. I see that her father walking up the steps and going back to his business. Madge and I exchange a quick smile when she says, "Good luck today, Katniss."

"You too," I reply. I head to the baker's.

When I get there, his son is standing in the doorway. A bruise on his cheek. I give him two squirrels in exchange for some money and two loaves of bread. I thank him for his genorous offer and leave. I'm not completely sure, but I think he smiles at me as I turn around.

I return with gifts and food for everyone. Oranges for Gale's family and my family. A ribbon for prim, my mother's herbs, a rabbit, a squirrel, more money than I can hold, which I divide in half for Gale and I, two loafs of bread, and some greens.

Gale chuckles and says, "You've really outdone yourself this time, haven't you, Catnip?"

I smile at him while he stands and kisses me. We head to the reaping hand in hand, both smiling. We almost never smile in district 12. This is probably the best reaping ever.

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A/N: Hope you like it. My writing style has changed a lot, but I hope that's an improvement.

Thanks for reading ! R&R and special thanks to those who gave me advice, especially Rue's Lullaby74, who gave me a whole paragraph on editing my story. :P


	4. Then, I Volunteer'

A/N: Chapter 4 is out ! Spent two days writing. Very sorry if some information in the next few chapters are wrong, I am lending my book to a friend. But I've read the hunger games 4 times, so we should be ok :)

Again, I do nott own the Hunger Games or any of its content.

Again, special thanks to Rue's Lullaby74 for tips. Kyra (sunriselight), for nagging me about foreshadowing, the technique we learned about in reading class, becuase of the nagging, I finally tried it.. didnt succeed, but still tried. Thanks so much to all those who posted reviews, and helped make this story great. :) Hope you enjoy !

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~Last time~

I smile at him while he stands and kisses me. We head to the square hand in hand, both smiling. We almost never smile in district 12. This is the best reaping ever.

When we get there, we depart and go to our spots, but before we go, Gale kisses me once more, and as she walks by, a girl gives me a dirty look. Some other girls next to Gale start to flirt, which makes me jealous. But Gale just ignores them, which makes me feel better. I get more looks from snobby girls, but I don't really care about them, so I just smile and stare. Delly Cartwright, who's right in front of me, turns around and smiles. She says, "Katniss, good luck alright? I would hate it for you to go into the games. Although, I bet you'd be awesome even if you did. Not that I want to go into the games. I mean, never mind. Forget it. Just, good luck Katniss."

She always so cheerful, but today she's twitchy, unsure. Just nervous, I guess. I put a smile on my face and give a polite, "You too Delly."

I look back at Gale and see he's staring at me, grinning. I smile at him. I don't want to think about the impossible, about me or Gale going into the games. It's just too painful. So give him a smile, longing for him to be next to me, to be with me. His smile fades away, and I turn around.

Up on the stage, two of the three seats are taken. One is occupied with the mayor, the other with Effie Trinket, District Twelve's escort into the games. She seems to be fixing her creepishly pink hair, which, judging by the sickening color is a wig; definitely made by the Capitol. She looks so out of place here, with her bright colors. It's so weird. It sickens me. The Capitol people are so spoiled, just sitting around, eating, sleeping, getting alterations; basically, being lazy, living the life, while the people in the districts starve and die of hunger and illness; some, dying in front of all of Panem, for their entertainment. I don't know how they live with themselves. In all districts, the Hunger Games are mandatory to watch, so no matter how annoying those Capitol pests are, you grit your teeth and tough it out for the next few weeks while tributes kill one another in the arena until there's only one tribute standing. District 12 hasn't had a winner for almost 25 years. Haymitch Abernathy, who is supposed to be here, won the Hunger Games many years ago, and is supposed to be the tribute's mentor every year. The one problem: he's always drunk.

Mayor Undersee looks at the empty chair annoyed, but starts the assembly anyway. He introduces Effie Trinket and she starts to stand. Right then, Haymitch Abernathy staggers on the stage and tries to give her a welcoming hug. Again, he's drunk; very drunk. Trying to avoid his hug, Effie's wig tilts slightly to the right. Then more, and more, until it is in complete danger of falling off. I hear a few people in the crowd start to laugh. One laugh stands out the most though; I hear Prim giggling from her spot in the line, which brings a smile onto my face.

Haymitch stops, confused, but sits down is his chair. Effie runs up to the podium, obviously disgusted and wanting badly get bumped up to a better district; maybe one where mentors don't embarrass you in front of the entire nation.

She says in her clear, high strung, upbeat voice, "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!" she goes and talks about what an honor it is to be here, in district 12. Blah, blah, blah; when it's evident that she's lying. When the moment comes to pick the names, she says, "Ladies first!" and reaches deep into the pink glass reaping ball, grabbing a slip of paper. She pulls it out, and while I'm hoping badly that it's not me, she flattens the paper and says the name: Primrose Everdeen.

Remember when I said this was the best reaping ever? Well I take that back. This is the worst. Why did it have to be her? Why her? The odds of her getting chosen were one in a million. So safe! I can't move, but I start to fall. Gale rushes back just in time to catch me, and when I don't move even then, he shakes me until I do. Some Peacekeepers come to move him back to his spot with their guns and when I realize that, I come back to the present. I stand straight up in front of him with my arms out, my eyes crazed. One peacekeeper steps back, one with red hair. That's when I recognize him. Darius. Usually peacekeepers just get on my nerves, but Darius is all right. He's a joker, a friend. The other one stands as tall as a tree, as still as a rock.

"Just tell your friend to go back to his spot. No harm done," he says.

I'm about to step up, but Gale pushes me back and says, "It's okay," and leaves.

I look back up, and Prim is halfway up the stage. I can't let her do this. I run up and the others in line don't hesitate to make a path for me. Before I know it, I say, "There has to be a mistake!"

The mayor looks at me in concern and says sincerely, "I wish I could help you, but, rules are rules. There's no mistake honey."

My eyes narrow and I say, "Then I volunteer. I, Katniss Everdeen, am volunteering for Primrose Everdeen to go into the Hunger Games."


	5. I Love You'

~*Last time*~

My eyes narrow and I say, "Then I volunteer. I, Katniss Everdeen, am volunteering for Primrose Everdeen to go into the Hunger Games."

Although I'm already up on the stage, Prim is grabbing at my waist, trying to pull me back down the steps. I stand straight and tall, my head high, my expression hard and unreadable. Prim yells at me, pulling me harder than ever, but I'm strong, and I hold my ground. I say, "Prim, let go." My voice is hoarse at first. I don't want to do this, but who else would volunteer for Prim? I have a family to care for, and I'm starting to regret it, when Gale pulls her off, anger on his face.

Effie Chimes, "Great! We have ourselves a new tribute! What's your name?" she asks.

I swallow hard. "Katniss Everdeen," I repeat.

"I bet that was your sister, huh?" she says in her silly Capitol accent.

I swallow hard and nod.

She smiles and claps happily. "That's the spirit of the Games! But there's more excitement to come!"

She moves over to the blue reaping ball and picks out the first slip of paper she encounters.

She holds her head high and says in a clear voice, "Peeta Mellark!"

Why do I remember him? My questions are answered when I see him walking up the steps to the stage. He looks nervous, scared, but who wouldn't be? This is the Hunger Games.

Peeta Mellark is from my year at school. But we don't talk. Only one thing pops up when I think his name; the baker's son. But, as I think deeper, one more word more word pops up; giver. That's all it takes. That one word gives me a full flashback of what happened years ago. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here right now, saving Prim. Wait. If it wasn't for him, Prim wouldn't be here right now.

~*Flashback*~

It was a wet, rainy day. My family and I were starved, and I was in the market trying to sell Prim's old baby clothes. Although no one came by, I still stood there. I didn't want to go home. My mother was at home, with her dead eyes, which never looked at anything but the cold ground beneath us. I was shivering, cold, and still very hungry. The clothes dropped in the puddle beneath me. I didn't bother picking them up. No one wanted them. I started looking in the trash bins for food. They were all empty and I knew that, but something just drew me to the baker's; maybe the smell of fresh bread; maybe just curiosity. I looked in the Baker's trash bin. Nothing.

All of a sudden, a woman from the store came out, yelling at me, telling me to get lost. A tear rolled down my cheek. I mean, you'd think, that in the poorest district, the people would be more compassionate and share extra, uneaten food. I hunched my shoulders in defeat and fell by the fence of the Baker's backyard. I sat there, while there was yelling going on in the bakery. I didn't care enough to listen, but it was just so loud.

"Feed it to the pig you stupid creature! No one decent will buy burned bread," I heard the lady yell.

Then, it happened. I heard a boy's feet slosh towards me. I looked up and saw the baker's son, a new bruise on his cheek. His mother came out to help a customer. He looked behind him, as if to check if the coast was clear. He threw little chunks of bread in my direction first. Next, he tossed the two loaves of bread right at my feet. I looked up in amazement, but he was already gone.

I grabbed the loaves and ran, the warmness of the bread seeping through my clothes. I've never smelled anything so delicious before that.

~*End of Flashback*~

"No!" I yell before I know it.

Everyone's eyes are trained on me now, and I'm at the verge of crying. Peeta Mellark is right next to me now, his eyes on me, just like everyone else's. Luckily, Haymitch chooses now to stumble over to me.

"I like her!" he says, his breath reeking of liquor. "Lots of..." he struggles to find words. "Spunk." And he falls off the stage. I take this one moment of privacy in front of all of Panem to let one tear roll from my eye. Just one.

After the anthem, some peacekeepers steer us into the Justice Building and I'm assigned a room in which I'll say my goodbyes to loved ones. I feel the rough velvet couch. They feel so much like my hunting boots which I will probably never feel again. I give the material one last touch before my mother and Prim come into the room. Prim has tears running down her eyes.

"Why'd you do it Katniss?" she yells at me, shrieking. "Why?"

She falls on the couch, her face buried in my shoulder, still crying. I let her cry and turn to face my mother.

My eyes are starting to water. "You can't leave her."

"I won't, you know I won't. Last time, I couldn't help it. I didn't have the medicine I have now... "She says with intensity.

"Take care of her," I say, my eyes hard. She must know I don't trust her, because then she nods with the same intensity.

I continue talking about how they will survive without me. Prim will not take any tesserae. They can get by on selling Prim's goat cheese and my mother's small apothecary business. Gale will get the herbs she needs if she describes them carefully enough. He will also bring them meat, for which they should probably offer a trade of milk or medicine. And, just as I'm finishing up, the peacekeepers return and take them away. Before she leaves, Prim whispers with tears still running down her face, "You'll try to come home, right? You'll really, really try?"

"I promise," I say. And kiss her cheek.

The next person who comes in is unexpected. Peeta Mellark's father walks right through the door, sits next to me, and pulls something out of his pocket. Cookies. I open the bag and smell the fresh aroma.

"Thank you," I say. He nods. And we sit in silence until a peacekeeper summons him.

A few more tears slip by. I bury my head in the arm of the couch and sob. Gale enters the room and I, without a doubt in my mind, run into his arms. He sits me down on the couch and kisses my cheek. I kiss him back and he pulls away. He talks about how much I mean to him, how much he wants me to come back. He says he'll take care of my family as best he can and that he'll be cheering me on every step of the way, willing me to come home. I stare into his gray eyes and whisper, "I love you."

All too soon they're taking him away and he whispers back, "I love you, too."


	6. Ironic

Well, Im back ! Happy ? good. hahah, hope you enjoy chappie 6. Took only 'bout 30minutes, but this chapter is just to show you that.. Im back ! Hope you like, and expect more soon ! READ AND REVIEW PLEASE ! :))

Disclaimer: LIKE I KKKEEEEPPPP TELLING YOOH, I DONNOT OWN ANYTHING ! :))

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~*last time*~

All too soon they're taking him away and he whispers back, "I love you, too."

And there I was; all alone in a room with only dusty, cheap furniture. There were too many things running through my mind, I thought I might explode. How was I to survive? To be one out of twenty-four? How were Mother and Prim going to survive? What would happen to them? What would happen to me? What would happen to Gale? Would he find someone else? Would anyone care? Would I die?

I buried my face into the couch arm and sobbed until the tears fell right off my face and streamed down the leather. I may be wrong, but I think I hear an even louder sob in the room next door than in this room. How in the world that would be possible, I don't know.

After a while longer, my eyes are not puffy nor red, and my reaction is calm. From the outside. On the inside, I'm screaming.

Darius comes in and brings me out, quietly whispering to me, reassuring me. His red hair reminds me of fire, which reminds me of the situation I will face. I will be thrown into the arena, and made to kill 23 other tributes. But what will the arena look like? An 'inactive' volcano? A frozen wasteland? A desert? I'm terrified.

Heading out the door, I mask my worries with a stone face. I stare nowhere but straight ahead. I look determined. I say nothing to anyone. I say nothing to the reporters, or to the camera crew. I look bored. Good. I stand at the foot of the train with the baker's son who seems to have cried his eyes out. I'm strong; but only until I catch a glimpse of my mother and Prim. I can't look, and turn away to catch my breath. When I turn around again, Madge is there, her face unreadable. She pins something to my shirt and whispers into my ear, "Wear this into the Games. Promise me." She kisses my cheek while I promise. She walks away hastily while some peacekeepers come after her. They ask me questions and examine the pin carefully. I say, "It's my district token." I almost forgot. Each tribute can bring one token to remind them of their home. This is why she gave me this. Why should I even be worrying about something to remind me of home? I shouldn't care less. I'm about to be thrown into an arena where I will most likely be killed and I want to be reminded of a dirty rotten country that put me to death? Ironic.

Well, lucky me, the fun is only beginning.


	7. Author's Note

A/N:

Hey, guys C: What ? that last chapter was short, but I could use some encouraging reviews ! XD

After my long time away, theRE was a technical difficulty that led to my deleting the last story, Twisted Love, and re-uploading it, refreshed and renewed, sadly deleing the…. 4reviews I DID have :P XD

Anyway, I'm writing this, promising you that I WILL continue this story. I've been working EXTREMELY hard on my Science Fair Project. T_T HATE IT WITH A PASSION. Also, there's been too much stuff going on at home.

BUT, besides that, I've also been working on some new stories for you guys, completely forgetting about this one XP I HAVE uploaded one onto FictionPress, though. If you're interested, please let me know, leave a comment ! :D From now on, Expect a chapter every week ! C:

-Christinaa :D


	8. The Train

Hey guys. Here is Chapter 7, just like I promised :D

Kinda short, I know, But it's something we might have live with for now. R&R

Enjoyy ! C:

* * *

~*Last time*~

I shouldn't care less. I'm about to be thrown where I will most likely be killed and I want to be reminded of a dirty, rotten country that put me to death? Ironic.

Well lucky me, the fun is only beginning.

After the camera crew are done with us, a large group of peacekeepers herd us into the back of the train. The muscliest one, in the front, says, "No one leaves." They leave quickly, barely making it through the gracefully closing doors. The train starts to move, taking my breath away. I've never been on a train, the people of all districts are forbidden to go anywhere else outside their district except for officially sanctioned duties. For us, that's transporting coal.

Each district has a special business assigned to them. 12: coal. 11: Greens, berries, herbs, etc. 7: lumber. And so on. In school, they tell us District 12 was built in a region called Appalachia, once called the Rockies, where they used to mine coal. That's why our miners have to dig so deep.

The train is neat, and fancy. We are each assigned to a chamber complete with a bedroom, dressing area, private bathroom with hot AND cold water (we don't have warm water at home), and drawers filled with fresh, new clothes; pretty nice for a jail cell. Effie tells me to do whatever I want, as long as I'm at dinner in an hour.

I strip off my dress, damp with sweat, and treat myself to a warm shower. It feels nice, considering I've never had a shower before.

I step out and quickly get changed, slipping into a dark green shirt and pants. I quickly fasten the golden pin onto my shirt.

I step into the hall on my way to the dining room. I see the dishes are smooth and glass. Not much of which we could have in District 12. I take a seat next to Peeta Mellark, the only chair empty.

"Where's Haymitch?" Effie beams.

"He told me he was going to take a nap," Peeta replies.

"Well, it has been an exhausting day," her face muscles seemed to relax at the thought.

The first course comes out, which is unbelievable, because it looks like it could be a full meal for my family. A thick carrot soup. Halfway through, Peeta notices my pin. I haven't paid much attention to it, but now as I take it off, I take my first look at what it really is. A mockingjay, encircled in a gold ring.

I like mockingjays. They can repeat any notes, even whole songs. My father used to sing with them. I did too, rarely, but only when I was with- I stop myself. I can't afford to think about him now. Gale is long gone, never to see me again.

More and more courses of our dinner come out. I stuff myself. I'm stuffing myself with the richest food in all of Panem. Me, Katniss Everdeen, from district 12. I feel disgraced. I hate the Capitol. They give me food encouragingly, only to have me killed in the end.

The rest of the meal goes on silently, me lost in my own thoughts. My stomach hurts. I'm not rich to the rich stuff. I glance over at Peeta; he doesn't look like he's handling this well either.

We walk into another room, where a small machine sends a holograph into the air. Kind of like our TVs in 12, except, I can stick my hand right through the screen. We watch the recap of the reapings from district to district. I examine my soon-to-be competition. A few stand out in my mind, but only one makes the best impression. Rue, a 12-year old girl from District 11. She reminds me of Prim so much. I don't want to watch the rest. I already know what happens, so I stand and step out of the room, excusing myself. I can hear footsteps behind me, and I think its Effie, when I come to my jail cell and turn around to face her; only it's not her, it's Peeta. His eyes are light blue and kind, his blond hair tousled. He had a bruise on his cheek. One can only imagine what his mother hit him with. I stare guiltily at the ground, embarrassed to find myself staring at him. He didn't seem to mind. He chuckles.

"What do you want?" I ask.

"You seemed troubled," he explains.

"Why do you need to care?"

"Look, I'm not your enemy," He says. He's kind, which angers me. Kind people always have a plan, and this is the Hunger Games. I have to do all I can to keep people like him away from me.

"My life is none of your business," I say. Then I open my cell door, walk in, and close it on his face.

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I'm having a kind of off day, and I'm kind of grouchy. Which half explains the attitude in this chapter. The other half is: I'm running out of ideas of how to keep the Gale/Katniss thing in these chapters, so if you have ANY suggestions, please, please let me know C:

If you don't like this chapter, or any of the other chapters, please leave a review telling me where I went wrong, and, if you can, a few suggestions on how to fix it.

Thanks for reading ! C:


	9. Why are people so annoying ?

A/N: This next chapter, is a tribute to: Cloud-Lover26, because, right after reading his/her comment, I felt I just _had _to write another chapter. Hahah, I promise you guys, The next chap will be out tomorrow, because this chapter is very short. I'm super tired, and out of ides.. Plus, My Hunger Games book is lost, and I can't seem to remember much at the moment. Hope ya'll enjoy (:

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~*~LastTime~*~

"My life is none of your business," I say. Then I open my cell door, walk in, and close it on his face.

I run to my bed, and plant my head into the white, down, pillows. I start to weep, horrified at what I've done. I don't remember ever being so rude; Not since I'd felt the pain of losing my father. I cry harder. Minutes pass, then hours, until I see the sun going down through the clear glass windows. I find a towel, and wipe my face. My eyes are red and puffy, but I don't care. I strip my clothes, crawl onto my bunk, and fall asleep with my legs curled up to my body.

Effie bangs on my door, urging me to wake, and I can't help but roll my eyes. Her Capitol accent and pushiness just makes her even more annoying. I roll out of bed, and get myself ready, pulling on yesterday's clothes. I walk out of my quarters, and catch Peeta on the way out also. We walk silently, awkwardly far apart my shoulder almost crushed against the train walls, until we reach the dining car. Haymitch looks fully rested, and, _almost _sober, a beer bottle in his hands. I saw a new stain on the velvet red carpet, which, obviously wasn't there yesterday. Peeta followed my gaze. "Yeah, Haymitch puked last night after you left. No one else was around, so I had to clean it."

I try to hold back a laugh, but end up making a cross between a snort and a scoff. Peeta chuckled, probably at how much of a dork I looked like.

I sat down at the table, and I'm served my platter of breakfast. I look up at Haymitch. "Any advice for the games?" I ask.

He bursts out laughing, as if it were one big crazy joke. I wish.


End file.
